Chosen
Overview The Chosen are actually a genetic off-shoot of the human species. They originated on the same radioactive planet as the Mutant, but did not stay there long enough to get to that point of mutation. The Chosen got there because they fell out of a space vessel full of humans that was bound to take them all to Mani, they only planet deemed human-friendly. As time went on, the radioactivity of their planet mutated their genes to the point that they became a separate species. History Post "Project Prometheus" Upon the Mani Transporter, a space vessel taking approximately 350 Humans to the human-friendly planet of Mani, one deployment pod containing 26 humans (17 female and 9 males) experienced a technical malfunction and accidentally deployed too early (possibly due to the nearby usage of a Tech Scrambler), getting trapped in an orbit around Tantosis instead of Mani. The poor individuals eventually crashed upon the marshy plains of Tantosis and survived, but were never rescued. Tantosis' proximity to it's plutonium sun warped and distorted the appearance and characteristics to the point that they became a new species, named, when discovered by a Pacifist search mission, the Chosen. Later on, being called by God to settle a dispute between the Pacifists and the Empaths, the Chosen left Tantosis and their Mutant companions behind to become the vile, twisted creatures that they are today. Cosmic War The Chosen were hesitant to become involved in the arising Cosmic War, but realized that with God on their side they couldn't lose and, when they became the new rulers of the Universe, establish a better cosmic society. With pure motives, God has been on their side, granting them help whenever they need it. Biology The Chosen's long, thin arms are for reaching into the narrow, skinny tunnels created by Swamp Worms to snatch a nice, juicy worm to eat. These worms are full of bioluminescent bacteria that are absorbed into the Chosen's skin. This gives them their glow, which helps them see through the unending fog of Tantosis. Their long, thin neck is actually retractable, giving their head an adjustable height. The full extension is about two times the length of the above image. Culture Government The Chosen don't have any heirarchy amongst themselves, rather they are all equal and are all governed by God. Language The Chosen have, over time, developed their own language, which is a hybrid of their ancestral human language and Muntantis, the language of the Mutants. This new language is known as Chossese. Religion Obviously, the Chosen believe in the one true God, rather than devloping elaborate mythology to explain phenomenons like most of the other species do. Worshipping God is an activity they do five times a day; once when they wake up, once before mealtime, once after mealtime, and twice before going to sleep. When they awake, their worship consists of dancing and praying for the day. Before mealtime, they pray for the meal and that the energy they gain from it will be used in an honorable way. After mealtime, they dance more and thank God for providing sustenence for another day; this is when they ask God to guide them and give direction. Throughout the rest of the day, they accomplish what God has tasked them and preach his word to others. They pray again, a prayer of reflection on the day, before getting ready to bed down; then again while they are drifting of to sleep, praying for the day to come. When they pray, the wear special robes made of the hide of Swamp Boar. This material is not easily obtained as Swamp Boars are very ravenous and fierce creatures. Wearing their hide serves as a testimony to their dedication to God. The Chosen don't have access to the Bible of the humans, so they spend their time primarily praying rather than reading God's word. Religion is the central part of Chosen society. Entertainment Once a Chosen citizen has lived 5 years (23 of our years) they become an adult, and all of their time is devoted to "mature things". Juveniles, however, still enjoy spending time entertaining themselves with simple, playful games that usually include several individuals and seldom involve teams. Often, these games are played without the use of any equipment, as radioactive swamps don't have much to offer in the way of fun and games. Currency The Chosen species doesn't make use of any kind of currency, neither do they employ a system of trade. Rather, they share amongst themselves willingly; almost such that one's property and food does not in fact belong to that individual, but to a community bank that anyone can draw from when nessecary. Diet The Chosen's diet consists primarily of Swamp Worms, the larva of Swamp Crickets. Swamp Worms are full of bioluminescent bacteria, which, when the worms are consumed, transfer to the Chosen, residing within their skin and blood. These bacteria give the Chosen their luminescent skin but also produce small amounts of nutrients, giving the Chosen a permanent but small source of nutrition. This allows Chosen to go for months without eating. Every so often the Chosen diet includes the meat of a Swamp Boar. Swamp Boars are very difficult to kill, and therefore this is not attempted very often. Only when their Prayer Robes need replacing do hunter's go out to kill a Swamp Boar, but this is mainly done to obtain the hide. Not wanting to be wasteful, however, the meat is eaten as well and the bones used for varying purposes. Abilities Humans are wired with the desire and the drive to discover their creator; to find God. This particular trait developed much more intensely within the Chosen, and they sought to discover God. Eventually, through having an intense relationship with God, they became perfect in every way and developed an equilibrium with Him. Their faith was such that they can request aid in battle and have it granted immediately.